Timbuktu in the Valley

Lauren Klevansky, our South Africa co-ordinator,  visited a school called Timbuktu in the Valley, located at Victoria Yards in Lorenzville, Johannesburg in late 2021. ABCA donated books to them earlier in the year, but they wanted to first set the school up properly before inviting ABCA to see the school and take photos.

Victoria Yards used to be a factory but is now divided into studios owned by different businesses. It is situated in a very poor, run-down area. During Covid last year, the people working at Victoria Yards noticed that many kids in the area were spending their time in the streets. Some kids had dropped out of school, while others only attended school on alternative days (as per Covid regulations). They created a space for the kids to come to during the day instead of being on the streets, and eventually realised that there was a need for a school.

The teachers at the school are all volunteers and the school relies on donations to keep going. They hold school in the morning, and in the afternoon kids from other schools in the area come there for help with their homework and to attend the varied after-school activities (including trumpet lessons, and learning to walk on stilts!). The aim of the school is to keep the kids off the streets, to teach them life skills, and to have a voice. There is also a creche, as a lot of the kids were looking after younger siblings while their parents were at work.

The school was very happy with the ABCA books they received. They focus on teaching English and Maths, and they encourage the kids to read as much as possible. They were very proud of one of their students who read seven books in one day! The students are encouraged to take the books off the shelves to read. The school asked ABCA to please supply them with early readers and workbooks, if possible, to help the kids learn to read. They would also love any books about dinosaurs and space!

Posted 2022